The present invention relates to food processing machinery and more particularly to an improved egg carrier system for use, for example, for carrying rows of eggs through cooking or other processing chambers. The carriers are mounted on endless chains and each carry a row of eggs, such as a typical twelve egg row. The carriers are formed with a preferred open or frame-like structure to expose the eggs to the processing mediums. Additionally, the carriers include effective and simplified automatically operated covers for securing the eggs in place in the carriers during the processing operations. The system also includes a carrier dumping arrangement activated by an automatic control positioned adjacent to the path of the carriers at an egg discharge position.
There are a number of egg processing operations which require the eggs to be carried through liquids or gases for cooking or other processing operations and where the eggs preferably are handled in rows. This has been done by providing carriers for the eggs having at least one open side or top for facilitating the loading and unloading of the carriers. The prior carriers have not been fully satisfactory due to their complexity and due to the fact that they drop eggs in certain instances where the eggs were carried through a liquid processing medium. Certain of the eggs floated or were otherwise forced out of the carriers resulting in a loss of product, a contamination of the processing chamber, and interference between the loose eggs and other moving carriers.
The improved carriers of the present invention overcome these objections by providing a relatively simple and open carrier design which also includes an effective and sutomatically operated cover means for holding the eggs in place when necessary and which permits ready removal of the eggs at a carrier dumping mechanism or station.
The preferred carriers comprise spaced rods shaped to provide egg supporting compartments and having covers comprising additional pivotally mounted rods or bars. The covers are opened and closed by fixedly mounted opening, closing, and dumping mechanisms mounted adjacent to the carrier path.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved carrier for rows of eggs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved egg carrier system with automatically opened and closed covers.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved and relatively simple open egg carrier adapted for automatic cover opening and closing and for an automatic carrier dumping operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved frame-like sanitary egg carrier including automatic carrier cover operating means.
Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.